Eternal Night
by Jaliceforever
Summary: 10 Years after Breaking Dawn. When the Cullens move to Alaska, their lives are endangered by the presence of a familiar face. CONTAINS BREAKING DAWN SPOILERS!
1. Union

Although I'd like to, I do not own Twilight. Or Edward. Or Jasper. Or any other characters. That privilege belongs to Stephenie Meyer.

**Chapter 1 – Union**

"Damn it," he growled, kissing hungrily down the edge of my jaw.

"We have plenty of time to work on it," I reminded him.

"Forever and forever and forever," he murmured.

"That sounds exactly right to me."

And then we continued blissfully into this small but perfect piece of our forever.

_10 years later_

I walked slowly through the forest with my husband towards the large, white house. I had been dreading this day for years and yet it was inevitable that it eventually would come.I turned my head and stared into the deep, golden, ochre eyes of the love of my existence. Even now, I had to keep reminding myself that he wasn't a dream; that someone so stunning could actually exist. He smiled his crooked smile at me and in a voice like velvet whispered:

"Bella, love, its okay."

It wasn't okay, not really, but I couldn't help feeling a little reassured.

"Is it Edward? Is it really?"

"Yes, everything's going to be fine," and he bent down and kissed my forehead with his soft, perfect lips. I looked round and realised that we had reached the river. In one fluid, graceful bound we were across and at the back door of Carlisle and Esme's house. Cautiously, we stepped inside.I was greeted with a sight that would have brought tears to my eyes if I was able to cry. My daughter, my precious Renesmee. Technically, only nine years old. Physically, about eighteen. Her dress was long and flowing, simplistic, yet extraordinarily beautiful. I didn't know it was possible for her beauty to be magnified further, but Alice was an artist when it came to weddings. I should know."Mom!" she cried and ran into my arms.

"Nessie. My Nessie," I sighed and hugged her as tightly as I could without breaking her ribs.

"Look at you. My daughter all grown up," Edward whispered in a voice so quiet no human would have been able to hear.

"Dad! I didn't think you were coming!"

"And miss the chance to walk my baby down the aisle?"

"Well, you know, things between you and Jake have been a little tense recently and-"

"And you honestly thought I'd stand you up?"

"Well-"

"Don't worry, Ness, I'll be civil to Jacob. I'm just about ready to put the past behind me."

Alice suddenly rushed into the room in a long purple gown, holding a bouquet.

"It's time," she said, her voice trembling with excitement. I said goodbye to Renesmee Cullen for the last time. In a few minutes she would be Nessie Black.I walked with Edward into the light spacious room and took my seat between him and Jasper in the front row. Jasper instantly made me feel calm and I sighed with relief. My eyes hovered over the 6ft 11 inches of werewolf that would soon be my son in law. I found myself giggling when I thought of how things were between us before. Seth stood up and grabbed hold of Jacobs's shoulders, trying to calm him down. I didn't know what to feel. My head was a spinning vortex of different, conflicting emotions and for the first time in ten years, I couldn't think straight. Then all too quickly, the wedding march began and we all rose from our seats.

**A/N : So... hope you enjoyed the first chapter of Eternal Night! Please, please, please review or I wont post anymore chapters!**


	2. Anniversary

**A/N: Thank you sooooo much to everyone who reviewed the first chapter! I love you guys! Here's your reward – chapter 2 of Eternal Night! Enjoy ******

**Chapter 2 – Anniversary**

The ceremony was perfect. Very basic, yet incredibly touching. Minus the twenty or so vampires in the room, I don't think there were any dry eyes. Even Billy managed to shed a few tears. Nessie and her tower of a husband glided back down the aisle and the rest of the congregation followed them to the meadow, which Alice and Rosalie had decorated for the reception.

I gasped as I walked into the large clearing. Fairy lights and Japanese lanterns were hanging in the trees and in the centre, surrounded by numerous tables, was a large dance floor. It was great to see the faces of so many people I loved dearly. Zafrina, Siobhan and Liam, Tanya, Kate and Garrett and even Nahuel. My old friends and allies.

After what felt like hours of mingling and dancing, the evening was finally drawing to a close. The sun was setting and the moon was slowly making its way into the sky. Twilight. This time of day was magical. As I leaned against a tree, watching Ness and Jacob cutting the six story cake Esme had made, I felt someone's hands slide around my waist. Edwards delicious breath tickled my ear and so that no one else could hear he whispered:

"Happy Anniversary, love." Crap. I wasn't expecting that. I stayed frozen on the spot.

"You forgot, didn't you?"

"Edward, I'm so sorry-" I started, but he spun me around to face him and pressed one long, snow white finger to my lips.

"Hush, love. I'm not angry with you. You've had enough on your plate recently."

"That's no excuse. Ten years! I should have remembered!" I was so angry at myself. I was a vampire and yet I still had a brain like a sieve. Great.

"Don't worry about it. You can make it up to me tonight," he grinned, his voice full of lust.

Edward let go of me and from behind his back he pulled out a small, silver box. I took it carefully from his hands and lifted the lid. Inside was an exquisitely delicate pendant. The chain was long and golden and on the end, glinting in the moonlight was a heart shaped piece of topaz. The exact colour of his eyes.

"Edward, I don't know what to say. It's amazing. Thank you."

"I'm glad you like it," he smiled fastening it around my neck. "So, where's my present?"

"Ummmm... this will have to do for now." I reached up and gave him the most passionate kiss I could get away with in public. Once I finally backed off, he swayed a bit and looked slightly dazed. Looks like he wasn't the only one who could dazzle people.

The remainder of the reception passed in a blur and too soon the time came to wave Nessie and Jacob off on their honeymoon. As I embraced my daughter, I noticed she was wearing the locket I had given her on her first Christmas. And in that I knew that wherever she was, somehow we would still be connected. As we walked slowly - well, slowly for us - towards our cottage, Edward murmured:

"Thank you."

"For what?" I asked, slightly puzzled.

"For everything. For marrying me. For being my wife, my best friend and making me complete." Edward then lifted me up into his arms and carried me swiftly inside.

**A/N: Sorry it's so short, but this chapter is only a **_**tiny **_**piece of the story. Brownie promise another chapter tomorrow, but while you're waiting, please review!**

**Jaliceforever xxx**


	3. Leaving

**A/N: Okay, everyone. Ready for chapter three of Eternal Night?**

**Chapter 3 – Leaving**

The next few weeks were hectic, even for a family of vampires. Every single possession we owned had to be packed up, ready to go. It was so sad to think that we were leaving Forks forever. This was our home, the place I'd met Edward, the place I'd fallen in love. And once we left today, we would never be able to come back.

But I knew, deep down, we had no choice. Edward and the others had been in Forks for twelve years now and it wasn't surprising that people were suspicious of us. Especially Carlisle. The nurses at the hospital didn't seem to understand how a man in his late thirties still had the face and body of someone ten years younger. So now was the time to go. The days flew by and all too soon, it was Friday. We were leaving for Alaska in approximately 6 hours. There was only one more job left to do on my enormous list. Say goodbye to Charlie.

I went alone; Edward, Jasper, Carlisle and Emmett were out hunting – trying to catch one last mountain lion – and Rosalie, Alice and Esme were out shopping, treating themselves to a whole new wardrobe that would suit the colder conditions of Alaska. I jumped out of my car and as I walked towards the front door of the small house I knew so well, I couldn't help but think this was the last time I'd see it.

"Bella! What a surprise!" Charlie grinned at me, opening the front door.

"Hey Charlie. Listen, do you mind if I come in? You're not busy are you?" I asked timidly. I'd noticed that Sue Clearwater's car was _still _parked outside this morning.

"Sure," he seemed a little shocked I was here. Now that I lived on a diet of blood, I didn't tend to visit him often. Accidents did happen. I walked in and sank into the couch. Unnatural, for me. Charlie looked tense. He knew something was up. He knew I wasn't telling him something."

Bella, what's wrong? Nessie and Jake made it to Brazil alright, didn't they?" panicked Charlie.

"Yes, they're fine. I have something to tell you," I confessed.

"You're worrying me Bells." Charlie looked deadly serious.

"Okay, here's the thing. You know that we, I mean the Cullens aren't exactly your average family."

"That's an understatement!" Charlie interrupted. "But, Bella, I don't understand. You came here to tell me that they aren't normal? You just have to look at them, at you, to see that."

"No, Charlie, just listen. Please. We can't keep up this human charade in Forks any longer. People are getting suspicious of us and if anyone finds out, well, I can't guarantee your safety. We're leaving. I'm sorry."

For a few minutes, Charlie said nothing. He just stared at the fireplace. Then, as tears flowed down his soft, wrinkled cheeks, he sat down beside me and pulled me into a tight embrace.

"I'm gonna miss you Bells. So much. Will you ever come back?" he whimpered.

"I can't. I'm sorry, but it's for the best. I just want you to be safe. So, you're not angry at me?" Charlie seemed relatively calm. To be honest, I was impressed to see that he hadn't marched straight over to Carlisle's with his gun fully loaded, searching for Edward.

"Angry? Of course not. You're a grown woman, Bella. You have the right to do whatever you want with your life. If you have to leave, then I'm not going to stop you."

"Charlie..."

"I guess I should be grateful. All these extra years with you when I should have lost you ten years ago, like all the other parents here did when their children went to college. Where are you going anyway?"

"Prudhoe Bay, Alaska."

"Oh, well, that figures. Somewhere cold and rainy, right?" He tried to crack a smile.

"Yeah, pretty much," I sniggered.

"Just promise me one thing. Don't forget me."

"I promise, Charlie. I mean...Dad."

I hugged my father one last time and rose from my seat and left. I didn't know if my heart could take any more. I ran outside and slammed the door of my midnight blue Ferrari closed. Without bothering to abide by the speed limits, I raced home.

Edward was waiting for me. The sweet scent of his skin distracted me and calmed me down. _At least Charlie was safe now, _I thought.

"Time to leave," Edward said as he caressed my cheekbones.

"Yes. Time to leave" I replied.

And with that we took one more look at our beautiful little cottage, our home, and walked away forever.

**A/N: Thanks again to everyone who reviewed! Sorry guys, but I'm not going to be able to post chapter 4 tomorrow, BECAUSE I'M SEEING TWILIGHT!!!!! Ahhh, I've never been sooooo excited!! **

**Jaliceforever xxxx**


	4. Prudhoe Bay

**A/N: Hey sorry about the wait, here's chapter 4!!**

**Chapter 4 – Prudhoe Bay**

What should have been a long journey was over in a few hours, thanks to Emmett's insane driving. Before we knew it, we were in the small fishing town of Prudhoe Bay, Northern Alaska. Rainy and cloudy, with a thick forest nearby and plenty of wildlife. Perfect.

I stepped out of the jeep which had skidded to a halt somewhere in the forest. I was about to asked what we were doing here, when I noticed our new accommodation.

"Wow," Rosalie breathed, her mouth hanging open.

"I knew you'd love it!" Alice was ecstatic; it had been her job to find us somewhere to live.

The house that Alice had picked out wasn't really a house. It was more of a chalet. The wood was a dark russet colour. It had plenty of windows and a bright, crimson front door. But that's not what had shocked me the most. What had shocked me and I guess Rosalie too, was the sheer size of this place.

"Um, Alice? How many rooms does this place have?" I asked, not sure that I wanted to hear the answer.

"I'm not sure. I lost count," she replied.

Lost count. Who ever heard of a vampire losing count? I mean come on; she could see the freakin' future and she lost count! No one else seemed to be bothered by this statement. Emmett and Jasper were unloading the luggage. Esme and I started to unpack the mountainous pile of boxes from the Mercedes. I had a funny feeling that 75% of these boxes contained Alice and Rosalie's clothes.

"Bagsy the biggest room!" Emmett cried suddenly, running inside.

"Second!" Alice called, sprinting after him.

"Third!" Carlisle yelled.

Great. Absolutely fantastic. Edward and I had the box room.

"Guys, wait!" Edward and I followed them inside and into the enormous space that was the living room.

"What Edward? Not a sore loser are we?" Jasper smiled, an innocent look on his face.

"Where are Nessie and Jacob going to go?" Edward asked Esme, ignoring Jasper. "And Seth and Leah for that matter?"

"Ummmm... actually Edward, we were thinking, well, what with Nessie and Jake being newlyweds and all, that they might want a little privacy."

"Yeah and Alice didn't want a house this pretty destroyed _so_ quickly, if you know what I mean," Emmett laughed.

A low growl rippled its way through Edward's chest. "I'm not happy about this."

"Emmett, pack it in. It's okay Edward," Esme smiled. "They'll only be down the road."

"And Seth and Leah?"

"Living with us, of course."

"Oh, great! Now this house is going to smell like dog too!" Rosalie looked disgusted.

"You're not used to it yet Rose?" I asked my least favourite sibling. The smell no longer affected me in the way it should. I was used to having Jake around.

"Bella, I don't think I'm _ever_ going to get used to a smell as repulsive as that. It was bad enough with Jacob hanging around all the time, but now there's going to be _three _of them!" she moaned as Emmett dragged her upstairs.

* * * * * * * *

Seth and Leah joined us the next day. Seth was delighted that he was living with us. He and Edward had becoming very close friends. Leah on the other hand... Let's just say she wasn't thrilled to pieces to be here. It wasn't like she'd really had a choice. She was part of Jacob's pack and wherever he went, she went.

That afternoon, as Alice was about to haul me to the nearest shopping mall, Carlisle called us into the dining room. All ten of us sat down around the large, oval, mahogany table that we never used.

"Now, I've called this family meeting to explain how we're going to stay _inconspicuous," _Carlisle told us. "I don't think the residents of Prudhoe Bay would be very pleased to find out that they have a coven of vampires and a pack of werewolves on their doorsteps."

"Just get on with it, Carlisle." Alice was impatient. She hadn't been shopping for more than a week.

"He does this every time we relocate, Bella. The whole 'we're good vampires, let's not forget this' speech," Jasper explained.

"Can we stay focused please? Listen, I've managed to find a job at the local surgery and of course, I've enrolled you all at Prudhoe Bay High, so really..."

"WHAT?" the eight of us shouted at him.

"Didn't Esme tell you? Tomorrow, you're going back to school," Carlisle smiled.

**A/N: Hope you liked chapter 4! Please Review! Chapter 5 on its way soon!**

**Jaliceforever xxxxxx**


	5. School

**A/N: Here we have it, chapter 5!**

**Chapter 5 – School**

Seth, Leah, Edward and I arrived first in his Volvo. Alice and Jasper showed up not long after, in Jasper's brand new black land rover. Alice wanted to drive her bright yellow Porsche, but Carlisle didn't think it was subtle enough.

We had arranged to meet in the parking lot at eight forty-five, fifteen minutes before school started. It was now five to. Trust Rosalie and Emmett to be late. It was so typical of them. We were about to give up and walk inside, when I heard blaring music coming towards the school entrance.

"What in the name of-" Edward began, but he was cut short by the roar of the jeep's engine. Emmett skidded to a stop, just centimetres away from the back of Edward's car and wound down the windows so that the hideous music could escape. I recognised it at once. It was 'In the Ayer' by Flo Rida. Typical. Absolutely typical.

"Yo, yo, my homies!" Emmett shouted at us as he jumped out. We just stared at him, too dumbfounded to speak.

"Ummmm, Emmett sweetie?" Rosalie appeared from the other side of the jeep, looking extremely embarrassed. "We're meant to be fitting in. Remember what Carlisle said?"

"I know, I know. Unobtrusive. I get it. It wanted to start off the new school year with a bang, you know, show em' who's boss."

"What, by becoming some wannabe gangster?" Edward snorted.

Emmett growled. "Jeez, guys, what's wrong with you? Did you leave your sense of humour in Forks or something?"

I was relieved that the bell went before Edward had a chance to retaliate. Slowly, - well, slow for us, - we walked into the dreary looking prison- like building.

Being in school again was weird. I could feel the eyes of every student in the school watching us; the news ones, the freaks. I didn't like it.

We went to reception and got our schedules. To my surprise, I found that I had almost every lesson with Edward. Only one exception; gym. Great. My first lesson, I noticed, was biology.

As I settled into my seat at the back of the lab, I felt a strange sense of déjà vu. A biology lab was where we had met, where my life had truly started. I looked up happily at the carved-out-of-stone perfection that was Edward's face. His expression didn't exactly mirror mine. In fact, he looked like he was in pain.

"Edward? What's wrong?" I asked.

"I'm fine. Don't worry." He brushed it off, but I could tell he was hiding something. And I wasn't going to give up that easily.

"Edward Antony Masen Cullen! Tell me right now or so help me I will trash your Volvo!"

I could see the panic spread across his beautiful face. "Alright! I'll tell you. You see that _Nathan_ over there? Well, I might not be able to control myself and pretty soon he's going to be missing a leg. Or two," Edward snarled.

"Why? What's he done?" I had to admit, I was a little confused. We'd been in school for approximately an hour and Edward was already making enemies.

"Let's just say he's having some pretty vulgar thoughts about you right now."

"Oh," was just about all I could manage. My eyes followed the same path as Edward's glare towards an average looking boy sitting on his own. He kinda reminded me of Mike. Weird. He turned around and looked in my direction. I smiled politely at him. Nathan turned a violent shade of red and Edward chuckled under his breath.

"Hey guys!" Alice floated towards us. She was utterly thrilled that I had classes with her. She sat down on my right hand side.

"Hey, Alice," I murmured.

"C'mon, Bella, cheer up! You need to help me organise the 'Welcome to Alaska' party for Nessie and Jacob!"

"WHAT?" Edward and I said in unison. Obviously Alice had been keeping her mind busy; Edward was just as shocked as I was.

Alice ignored the horror on our faces and carried on. "Well, we have to do something! I was thinking a big banner outside their house and loads of balloons and-"

I cut her short. "No Alice. No way. No party." I was struggling to stay calm.

"Honestly, I would have thought you'd be over the whole 'I hate all celebrations' phase once you became a you-know-what. And yet here we are, ten years later, having an argument over a party that isn't even yours!" moaned Alice.

"I don't care. You see this foot?" I pointed to my left leg. "It's going down. Besides, they don't even get back till Saturday!"

"I know! So little time, so much to do!"

"Alice-"

"Shhh, Bella. It doesn't matter what you say anyway. I have already foreseen that Carlisle and Esme will agree to it and technically it's their house, so ha!" Her buttery eyes sparkled.

Edward laughed. "She's got you there love!"

"I give up!" I surrendered and turned my attention back to the textbook.

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Chapter six on its way soon! In the mean time, please review! Please pretty please with a cherry on top!**


	6. Premonition

**A/N: Hey! Here's chapter six! Consider it an early Christmas present. Oh and this one's a bit of a tearjerker, so get your box of tissues at the ready!**

**Chapter 6 – Premonition**

The week dragged. I couldn't wait to see Ness again and I was stunned to discover that I missed Jacob too.

Eventually, it was Saturday. The happy couple would be arriving soon. To my dismay, Alice's party plans had gone ahead. Our new house was covered in streamers and balloons and covering the walls were numerous banners. _Nessie's going to hate this, _I thought. I had sympathy for my daughter. She'd inherited my dislike in parties.

"Alice, don't you think this is a little extreme?" I asked my sister, pointing to the piñata Jasper was attaching to the ceiling.

"This is mild compared to what _I_ wanted to do. Edward made me tone it down," she grumbled.

"What's in this piñata anyway?" Jasper sniffed it. "Oh man, it really stinks!"

"Dog biscuits," Alice replied. "Rosalie's idea."

"Guys, that's mean! Jacob's part of our family now!"

"Oh come on Bella! Lighten up; it's just a little fun!"

I was about to tell Alice exactly where to stick her stupid decorations, when I heard the familiar revving of the motorcycles. They'd arrived. I ran outside to greet them.

I ran straight into Nessie's arms. "Nessie! Oh, I'm so glad you're finally here! You have no idea how much I've missed you!"

"Hey, Mom." Nessie moved away and stared at me, glowing. "This place is amazing!"

"I know Alice found it. It's beautiful, isn't it? And it feels so calm here. So, how was Rio de Janeiro?"

Nessie looked embarrassed. "Oh, well, you know, it was very, um, okay."

Jacob suddenly approached us then, towering over us like some freaky skyscraper. I embraced him. "Hello, Jacob. How are you?" I tried to sound polite.

"I'm fine thanks Bella." I noticed that he seemed to be glowing too. "So...Where is everyone?" he asked.

_Well, this was awkward,_ I thought. "Ummmm, they're inside. Listen, don't be mad at me Ness, but they've kinda thrown a welcome home party for you," I smiled apologetically.

"MOM! You know I can't stand parties! Why didn't you stop them?!?"

"Well, you know Alice. Once she gets an idea in her head, there's no stopping her!"

We walked cautiously through the front door and into the living room.

"Welcome to Alaska!" everyone shouted. Nessie ran straight to Edward.

"Hey baby. You look great!" Edward was pleased to have her back.

"Thanks Dad. Hey everyone!" Nessie greeted the rest of the family."Wait, where's Aunt Rosalie and Uncle Emmett?"

"EMMETT! ROSALIE! GET YOURSELVES DOWN HERE RIGHT NOW!" Carlisle called.

Emmett and Rosalie appeared at the door. "All right, all right! Keep your fangs on, Carlisle!" He turned to my daughter. "Sorry 'bout that Ness. Me and your Aunt Rosalie were a little 'distracted'."

Nessie rolled her chocolate brown eyes. "Spare me the details! Now that everyone's _finally_ here, who wants their presents?"

"Me, me! Oh please, let me have my present!" Alice was practically bouncing off the walls.

"Okay, Alice. You first. I suppose you already know what it is anyway." Nessie passed a large rectangular package to Alice.

"Oh, yay! Super fun!" She tore off the paper.

"A paintball gun? You bought Alice a paintball gun? That wasn't the smartest of choices, Ness." Edward looked disapprovingly at Alice's new toy.

"Thank you so much Nessie! This is SO COOL! Watch out Jasper! Paint ball coming your way!"

"What? NO, wait! Jasper pleaded, but it was too late. Alice hit him directly on the forehead. Red paint trickled down his face. Jasper wiped it away and turned on Alice who was behind the couch.

"RIGHT. THAT'S IT! Come here you little-" Jasper paused. The rest of us stopped laughing and turned to look at Alice who was frozen in the doorway. Her eyes had glazed over and she was completely still, frozen like a rock. I knew immediately what was happening. I recognised this scenario all too well. Panic flooded through me.

"Alice?" Jasper called, slowly approaching her. "Alice, sweetheart, are you okay?"

Alice's face suddenly snapped back to life. "Jasper," she whispered. Her sad eyes bore into the face of her true love.

"Oh, God, no!" Edward stuttered.

I lowered my shield so that Edward was able to hear my thoughts. _Edward, what's wrong? What did Alice see? Please, tell me._ Nothing. Edward seemed to have turned to ice himself.

"Alice, explain. What did you see?" Carlisle asked. I knew this much. From Alice's reaction, I could tell that we were in trouble. Something bad was coming.

"Jasper," Alice whispered.

"I'm right here Alice," he stroked her bony shoulders.

"No, in my vision, I saw Jasper..." she trailed off. "Edward, please explain to them. I don't think I can..." Alice flew out of the door and disappeared into the forest. Edward defrosted.

"Don't go after her Jazz. It's important you hear this. In her vision, Alice saw you...fighting,"

"Fighting? With who?" Jasper seemed genuinely curious.

"I don't know. Alice didn't recognise them and neither do I."

It seemed like I was missing out on a vital piece of information. Okay, obviously Alice was upset that she'd seen Jasper fighting, but he was a soldier. He was born to fight and whoever these mystery vampires were, he could easily take them on. What had Alice seen that was so bad it had caused her to run away? Edward answered my unspoken question.

"She...she saw you...dead."

Everyone was in shock for a fraction of a second. Then mayhem erupted around me. Carlisle sank to his knees, his head in his hands. Seth gasped. Rosalie was at Jasper's side in seconds, her arms tightly around him. Emmett stared out of the window, looking as if he'd just been punched in the gut by a metal fist. And Esme. I knew that I would never forget her face. Her beautiful face was screwed up and distorted in pain. She looked as though someone had just sentenced her to death. I felt so bad for her, I thought my heart was about to burst.

My mind was whirring. Even with my improved brain power, I couldn't take it in. How could this be? How could someone like Jasper, so strong, such a fighter, possibly end up dead? I didn't like to think about it. And Alice... My beloved sister and best girl-friend. I knew that if anything were to happen to Jasper, she'd be on a plane to Italy in seconds. She wouldn't, she couldn't live without him. Carlisle was the first to break the icy silence.

"Jasper, from now on, no more school. I want you in the house at all times. No exceptions. Do you understand?"

"Carlisle, I really don't think that's necessary. I can take care of myself."

"Do you understand?" Carlisle youthful face had turned to stone. There was no arguing with him.

"Yes, I understand."

"Good. Now, everyone listen. We will, we _must_ do everything in our power to help Jasper. Alice's visions are temperamental anyway so this outcome is not certain. However, until we're sure, everyone's on red alert. Edward, I want you on the lookout for any minds you don't recognise or haven't heard before. The sooner we find out who those people in the vision were, the sooner we can stop them."

I couldn't stay and listen to the rest of Carlisle's battle plans. I needed space. I left the house and sprinted into the forest, in search of Alice. I followed her scent until I found her. She was lying by a tree, her small body curled up into a ball. She had something in her dainty left hand and she held it up to her lips to kiss it. I sat down beside my sister and cradled her in my arms. I prised open her hand and felt like crying when I saw what was sitting on her palm. Her wedding ring.

**A/N: I very nearly cried writing this. Still, always look on the bright side of life! More chapters of Eternal Night to come! Merry Christmas everyone!**

**Jaliceforever xxxxxx**


	7. Help

**A/N: Hope everyone had a fantabulous christmas! Sorry I haven't updated for so long, my father dearest has been forcing me to join in with many a family activity. Still could be worst, at least I'm not in Scotland like my poor friend Amy. :D**

**Chapter 7 - Help**

Jasper was under house arrest. He never left Carlisle sight and even when he was occasionally allowed out to hunt, we all followed, like an entourage of body guards.

Much to Leah's revulsion, Sam's pack arrived in Prudhoe Bay the following week. Jacob had called him and explained what was going on and Sam was only too happy to help.

Alice wasn't talking to anyone. Not even Jasper. It was as if the life had been drawn out of her and she was empty. She wouldn't tell anyone anything more about the vision and this upset Carlisle. He wanted to know as much as possible.

Then there was the unsolved mystery. Who were the unknown figures in the apparition? Why were they there? When were they coming? It was unbelievably frustrating not having the answers to these questions. The answers we so desperately needed.

One gloomy afternoon, as I was lounging on the floor of mine and Edward's bedroom, re-reading Wuthering Heights, I heard a faint knock at the door. I recognised the rhythmic footsteps and honey and ginger scent. It was Alice.

"Bella?" she poked her head around the doorframe, her wide onyx eyes on me. "Can I talk to you?"

I was in shock. This was the first time Alice had spoken to any of us since I'd brought her home from the woods.

"Of course Alice! Come here!" She dropped down beside me like a rag doll. I draped my arm over her thin shoulders. I tried to sound casual.

"So, what do you want to talk about?"

"I need you to tell me something. You're the only one who will understand." Alice wasn't herself; she seemed so serious.

"Sure, what's up?" I asked, slightly hesitant.

"Just promise me you'll tell the truth." Her pitch black eyes bore into me.

"I promise."

"When Edward left you, when you were human, what was it like? Did it hurt really badly?"

I was too stunned to speak. Her words brought back the pain, the memories of the worst period of my life. I could almost feel the hole in my chest opening up again. My face screwed up in pain.

"Oh, Bella! I'm so sorry. I didn't want to upset you!"

I opened my eyes. "Alice, don't worry. I'm over reacting. I'm fine. But I don't understand. Why do you want to know this?" I had to admit, I was a little confused.

"I, I want to be prepared. If Jasper..." She stuttered. "I _need_ to know if I'm strong enough to live without him."

"Alice, I don't know if I should be telling you this." I didn't particularly _want_ to tell her this.

"Please, Bella. Please."

"Okay, Alice. If you're sure this will help you, then I'll tell you. The months where Edward left me were the worst of my life. It was like someone had cut me in half or had ripped a chunk out of me. It was like I was drowning and my oxygen supply had run out. I was a different person, I was crazy. I even ended up cliff jumping just to hear his voice. I was alive, - just – but I wasn't living. Not really."

Alice sat completely still. I grabbed her slim hands.

"Alice, I beg you, if something _does_ happen to Jasper, just please, please don't do anything stupid. I don't want to lose a brother and a sister."

She was suddenly on her feet, glaring at me. She was mad.

"I can't make any promises Bella! If you were in my place and you'd just had a vision of Edward popping his clogs, what would you do?!?"

I shuddered at the thought of it.

"Exactly! Look, I'm sorry Bella. But you especially should understand what I'm going through right now! I can't, I won't live without him!"

Alice ran from the room, hysterical. I didn't attempt to stop her. As always, she was right. I knew exactly what she was going through. And what was yet to come.


	8. Missing

**A/N: Here's chapter eight!**

**Chapter 8 – Missing**

I couldn't stop worrying. For once, Edward wasn't the only thing on my mind. My conversation with Alice still lingered there and then of course, Jasper. I'd become so close to him and I didn't like the thought of losing him. I tried to stay positive, mostly for Edward's sake. It would hurt him even more than it hurt me to lose his brother.

Everything had changed. I barely ever saw Carlisle nowadays; he usually just locked himself up in his study, only appearing now and again to hunt. Emmett had completely lost his sense of humour; he hadn't cracked a joke in days. And Esme was the most miserable I'd ever seen her.

Edward, Nessie and I had just returned from a hunting trip. It was late evening by now. I wandered into the kitchen, looking for something to do. There was a note on the counter. _Gone shopping. Be back by ten! A x. _Predictable Alice. Only something like shopping would be sure to keep her mind busy.

I heard familiar footsteps behind me. I turned around. It was Jasper.

"Hey." My voice was shaky. I found it hard to talk to him now. He was a marked man.

"Hello Bella. You haven't seen Alice, have you?"

"She's shopping." I passed him the note. He rolled his eyes.

"Oh. Okay. Well –" He started to turn away, but I grabbed his arm.

"Jasper, wait. How are you holding up? Are you afraid?"

"No." I looked deeply into his pitch black eyes. "I'm not afraid of death itself. But, leaving Alice behind...I don't want her to be in danger."

"Oh, Jasper," I squeezed his scarred hand. "Don't worry. Alice will be fine. I won't let her hurt herself."

"How can you say that Bella? I overheard your conversation last night! How can I trust you?"

"Jasper, please! You know I would do anything, anything to stop Alice from harming herself!"

"There's only so much you can do Bella."

"What do you mean?"

"I saw how you were when Edward left you. Okay, so Alice might be alright_ physically_, but what if she's _mentally _broken, the way you were? You won't be able to help her then. No one will."

Jasper pulled his hand away from form mine and silently left the room.

I sat with Edward, Seth and Leah for the remainder of the evening. I went along with their stupid card game and tried to put on a brave face. Leah was in a bad mood, as always, but was more crabby than usual, most probably due to the presence of Sam.

Night fell and the silver moon illuminated everything in its path. It was just Edward and I sitting around the table now. The werewolves were sleeping and the house was completely silent except for Seth's loud snores. I was suddenly conscious of the time. I peeked at the clock on the far wall. It was two in the morning. Alice was late. I grabbed her note again and re-read. _Be back by ten! _She had written. Something was wrong. Alice was _never_ late. She would have a least phoned us to tell us she was held up.

I stared across the room to Edward, who was running his hands through his bronze hair. His head suddenly snapped up. Shock was seeping its way across his immaculate face.

"Edward?"

"She's gone," he whispered.

"What?"

"Alice's thoughts have disappeared. She's gone so out of range I can't hear her anymore. She must be at least 300 miles away from Prudhoe Bay."

"But, there was a note saying she'd gone shopping. She was meant to be back by ten."

The shock on his face quickly turned to pain. "Oh, no! Carlisle, I need to talk to you!" Edward called. Carlisle, Esme, Rosalie, Emmett and Jasper were immediately by our sides.

"What Edward? What's wrong?"

"Alice is missing. She's four hours late."

My family sprung into action.

"Emmett, Rosalie, keep hold of Jasper. Edward, you're coming with me! We're going to find Alice."

"No, Edward! Please don't go!" I hated being separated from him, no matter how short the time scale.

"I'll be back with Alice before you know it. I love you." He kissed my forehead and left with Carlisle. Emmett, Rosalie and Seth had Jasper pinned to the couch.

"Let me go!" Jasper struggled against their grip. "I need to find her! I'm coming, Alice!"

"Sorry, bro, but you're not going anywhere. I'm under strict orders from Carlisle. And if I have to, I will knock some sense into you." Emmett looked apologetic.

"Don't worry everyone," I tried to sound soothing. "Alice will be home soon. She probably just got distracted by a pair of shoes or something!"

Carlisle and Edward returned just as dawn was breaking. Alice wasn't with them.

"Where is she? Where's Alice?" Jasper was in hysterics by this point.

"I don't know," Carlisle answered. "We went to the shopping mall and found her Porsche. She wasn't there. This was on the front seat."

Carlisle held up a thin envelope. It was addressed to Jasper Whitlock.

**A/N: oooo, talk about a cliffhanger! If you'd like to find out who the letter is from, then I'm afraid I'm gonna need a few more reviews! :D**

**Jaliceforever xxxxxxx**


	9. Instructions

**A/N: Okay so I probably should have put this in chapter one, but I'm really not very smart, so here's my belated dedication: This is especially for Amy and Leo. I love you guys. You are like the jam in my doughnut, the chocolate chips in my cookie, the ice cream in my sundae. I it weren't for you, I would probably have jumped out a window by now. Thanks for keeping me sane! xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Chapter 9 – Instructions

Jasper took the envelope. His hands were shaking. Cautiously, he opened it and read the letter. He dropped the letter and looked up; his eyes were burning with fear.

"Jasper? Who was it from? And why did they address you as Jasper Whitlock, not Cullen?" Carlisle was very worried.

Jasper said nothing. He sat down on the couch and put his head in his hands. I could hear him moaning. Edward picked up the piece of paper and read the letter aloud.

"_Jasper, It's been a while, hasn't it? Long time, no see. I thought eventually you'd return to me, but you never did. You abandoned me. You hurt me. So now I'm going to hurt you. I have Alice, but don't worry; she's quite safe...for now. I have a couple of 'friends' looking after her. Meet me in Forks Cemetery at midnight tomorrow, we have a few things to discuss. Be there, or your precious Alice will find out exactly how powerful newborns can be." _

We were speechless. "It's Maria," Jasper choked. "She has Alice. Maria has Alice."

Maria... my mind delved in an old human memory. Jasper, telling me how he was changed. He was the youngest army general of his time. One night he had met three beautiful women. Too beautiful to be human. Nettie, Lucy... and Maria. Maria, the power hungry vampire who had created an unstoppable army of newborns. And now she had Alice. Anger overwhelmed me and a snarl escaped my lips. Everything was tinted red and I wanted nothing more to grab Maria and crush her bones to dust. I realised that my family must be having similar thoughts as my snarl was echoed by them.

We jumped into action. Nessie and Jacob took the bikes, the werewolves in the jeep, BMW and Land Rover, Jasper in the Porsche, Rosalie and Emmett in _my_ Ferrari, Carlisle and Esme in the Mercedes and Edward and I in the Volvo. A huge convoy, on its way to Forks. It was almost funny to think that once again the danger was situated around that dreary town.

We got back at dawn. Our old house was still deserted, so we set up camp there. Being inside the familiar walls again calmed me and made me feel just a tiny bit positive. Alice would be fine. We would easily stop them. Then a thought came to me which changed everything. I couldn't believe that no one had thought of this.

"Edward! This is it!" I exclaimed.

"What's it? What do you mean?" He tried to read the panic on my face.

"The people in Alice's vision, it was Maria!"

Edwards face was in astonishment as he absorbed this information. Then, as his face turned from shock to agony, I knew he reached the same conclusion that I had.

"But-"

"Edward, I know. If Jasper goes to meet Maria, she's going to kill him."

"Then we won't let him go."

"Edward, we have to. We can't just leave Alice there."

"Well, we have to do something Bella. I'm not just going to sit back and watch my brother die!"

"We go with him then. We help him stop Maria."

"Bella-"

"Edward, I'm not just a useless, fragile human anymore. I can help." I _wanted_ to help.

"I know. I'm just being paranoid I guess. I just can't bear the thought of losing you."

"You won't. I guarantee you. Everything will be fine, it always is."

*****************

It was quarter to midnight. We were already in the graveyard. We had positioned ourselves and we were ready. Mist crept its way across the open space, giving the place a deadly feel.

I glanced around at my family. We would easily stop Maria. This would be a doddle. We had advantages she didn't have.

"Jacob, where are Seth and Leah?" I heard Edward ask.

"I ordered Seth to stay behind. I didn't want him involved in this. And Leah wouldn't leave him."

Okay, so we were two werewolves short, but with seven vampires, eight werewolves and one human/vampire hybrid, we seemed pretty much unstoppable.

The clock on the church tower chimed. The time had come. Out of the trees came Maria, her eyes a startling blood red colour. She was followed by a gang of ten snarling newborns. In the middle of these newborns was someone short, with pixie-like features and spiky ink-black hair. Alice.

**A/N: Will the Cullens prevail? Who know? I guess your gonna have to keep reading to find that out! And reviews help too....big hugs to everyone who's already reviewed!**

**Jaliceforever xxxxx**


	10. Confrontation

**A/N: Okay, I am very very very very very sorry that it has been so long since I updated. I am a disgrace. But this chapter is totally worth it.**

**Anyone who is emotionally unstable/suicidal DO NOT READ THIS! It is extremely sad and I don't want to send anyone over the edge!**

Chapter 10 – Confrontation

I wanted nothing more than to rip Maria's throat out. The bloodlust was overwhelming, but I managed to contain myself. I stood strong, at my husband's side. Edward held me back with one arm.

"Maria, why are you doing this?" Jasper asked.

"Well, I had to get you here somehow!" she smirked. My fury erupted. My shield sprang out from me and enclosed the ones I loved.

"Just give Alice back to me. Please. You can take me, just don't hurt her."

"No Jasper don't!" Alice shrieked.

"SHUT UP!" Maria hissed back at Alice.

Jasper was suddenly furious. "Don't you _dare_ talk to my wife like that again!" he snarled.

"Or what? I'm not afraid of you and your stupid golden-eyed 'family'. You seem to forget my lovely friends over here." She pointed to the gang of bloodthirsty newborns. "To be honest Jasper, I expected more from you."

"Things have changed Maria. I've changed."

"So tell me, Jasper Whitlock, or should I say _Cullen._" She sneered at the name. "Why did you leave me?"

"That life wasn't right for me, Maria. I was fed up with killing. That was all we ever did. Just fought and killed. I'd had enough."

"So you became one of _them_ did you?" Maria pointed towards us now. "I didn't realise you were so fond of the vegetarian lifestyle."

"You know I don't enjoy that part. It's hard for me, even now, to think of humans as people and not food. But this is where I belong, with Alice. She has shown me so many emotions I'd never experienced with you. Happiness, freedom, hope ... and love. All I ever felt with you was hate and anger. I love her Maria. Please, I beg you, let Alice go!"

"What and just let you walk off into the sunset? I don't think so. I haven't finished with you yet."

This was a nightmare. I wanted to have Alice back with us, to have her safely within the boundaries of my shield. I kept my eyes on her panicked face and I didn't need Edward to know what she was thinking. She wouldn't be worrying about the fact that she was surrounded by ten ferocious killers. Oh no. She would be worrying about Jasper, her true love. Every time Maria took a step towards him, her thin lips trembled.

"Okay, so you left me. Where did you go?"

"I wandered, for a while. Then Alice found me." Jasper smiled reliving the old memories. "She told me about the Cullens, that she'd seen us with them, so we went to look for them."

"And they just accepted you with open arms did they? Even someone with a history like you?"

Carlisle took a step forward. "Actually Maria, we _did_ just accept him like that. And believe me, I was fully aware of Jasper's past."

"I've heard enough. You Cullens are all talk and no action. Come on Jasper, fight back a bit. You know you want to."

"No."

"Have it your way then." Maria tensed herself and crouched, ready to spring. The newborns followed her lead. I shook off Edward's arm and braced myself. Our minds were safe enough, but my shield was useless against physical attack. I didn't care. I wanted to fight, to make Maria pay. A snarl escaped my lips.

Two things happened at precisely the same moment. Maria pounced, her teeth bared, flying at Jasper's neck. He tensed himself, but it didn't matter, she never made it that far. Something large and grey flew from the trees and jumped in between her and Jasper. Maria's teeth closed around its neck and I heard the sickening crunch as she snapped its neck. Maria froze and backed away, realising it wasn't Jasper. I was too stunned to speak as I watched Leah's body fall to the ground like a broken puppet.

**A/N: *sobs* Please cheer me up by reviewing! xxxxx**


	11. Battle

**A/N: This chapter is very short, so I apologize. I owe each of you a Jasper cookie.**

Chapter 11 – Battle

"No!" I cried.

The sound around me was deafening. Howls and snarls filled my ears and the volume was immense.

"You've made a big mistake Maria. You don't mess with werewolves," said Jasper.

Eight huge wolves leaped right over my head and dragged Maria to the ground. I heard the rips and shreds as they tore at her flesh. The rest of as sprang. I started to fight with one of the newborns closest to Alice. He was taller than and fast, but inexperienced. I took him down easily. I looked around and saw the members of my family in battle with the other newborns. I could see Esme pinned down at the other end of the field. I ran to her and jumped onto the back of the larger one and decapitated him from behind. I helped Esme to her feet.

"Thank you Bella."

"Save it for later; we've got company."

The remaining newborn, a female, started towards us. She was very strong and unlike the others, was obviously well-trained. I lashed out but she dodged me and I felt the sharp, stinging pain as she dug her teeth into my shoulder. Esme ripped her from my back and I swung round, hitting her as hard as I could in the jaw. I then raised my leg and thrust it towards her chest with break-neck speed. It was like kicking iron. She fell to the ground and I grabbed her arm and pulled with all my might. She let out a blood curdling scream as Esme tugged at the other one.

I thought of how Leah had died to save Jasper. We were just the repulsive 'bloodsuckers' after all. She didn't keep it a secret that she hated our guts and yet she still saved him. I felt the fury rising through me and ended the blaring newborn's pain.

It was then I realised that it was quiet. There was complete silence. Lying in the cemetery were dozens of fleshy-looking pieces. Everyone was safe. We collected up the limbs and burned them, creating a giant tower of purple smoke. We then went to Leah's body.

"Carlisle, is there any way-"

"I'm sorry Bella." His ochre eyes were filled with remorse. "There's nothing I can do. Vampire venom is lethal to werewolves. Leah's gone."

A loud symphony of howls came from the pack. The loudest in this orchestra were the sand-coloured lanky one and the large, deep black one. Nessie's tears fell silently to the ground as she hugged the russet wolf. For once, Jasper didn't interfere with the emotion. He bent down to Leah's limp body.

"Leah, you are the bravest person I've ever known. You saved my life. Thank you. I will miss you more than you know." He turned to face Carlisle. "I think we should give her a proper burial, in the forest maybe. It doesn't seem right to leave her here." Carlisle just nodded.

Alice approached Jasper from behind. She draped her arms around his shoulders and buried her head in his chest. He lightly kissed her hair.

The emotion of the scene suddenly hit me. I could feel my eyes stinging, as if they should be spilling tears. I took hold of Edward's hand and lightly kissed it. He held me close to his chest. I looked up into his amber eyes and saw that they were red around the edges. Now I realised that Carlisle's were too. And Esme's. And to my complete surprise; even Emmett's and Rosalie's. It seemed we were all crying for Leah.

**A/N: Reviews please!!! xxxx**


	12. Remebered

**A/N: Mahoosive apologies to everyone! I am an absolute disgrace and I'm sorry it has been such an age since I last updated. I have been a very naughty girl and I deserve a spanking (*wink, wink* Mr Pattinson). **

**But, I have had work experience the past two weeks. I've been working at a school and I've basically been spending all my free time wiping snot off my clothes and getting playdough stains out of my trousers.**

**Oh well at least I'm not working in an office. Seven hours of photocopying? That's my personal hell. Right there. I think I should stop talking now and let you read. Enjoy!**

Chapter 12 – Remembered

We took Leah's body into the forest. Carlisle had phoned Sue and explained everything to her and she was on her way down with Charlie and Billy.

This whole thing seemed like a dream to me and I kept wishing I would wake up. Leah had always seemed so strong to me, unbreakable. And now she was gone. It wasn't logical, I couldn't be true. Edward, Emmett and Jasper built the pyre and laid Leah's fragile – looking human body on top. Her face looked peaceful and content and I knew she was at rest.

Sam, Jacob and the others eventually pulled themselves together enough to phase back to human form. Their tears fell down their russet faces and onto the dirty ground. This would be very hard for all of them, but most of all, Jacob. He and Leah had become close, almost like brother and sister. What would happen now? He had just lost his Beta, his second in command. Would Seth take over? I didn't have time to let my thoughts wander; I heard footsteps and Charlie, Sue and Billy wandered out from the trees.

"Dad!" I ran to Charlie.

"Oh, Bells!" He squeezed me tightly. "Are you okay? Oh god, I'm so glad you're alright!" I felt the wetness on his cheeks as he embraced me.

"Sue, I'm so sor-" I turned towards Sue but she wasn't looking at me. Her large, almond eyes were fixated on Leah. She slowly walked forwards and fell to her knees beside the pyre. Her long fingers reached out and stroked Leah's face and hair.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered in Leah's ear. "I'm so sorry Leah. I'm sorry you were dragged into this life, this life you never wanted. I have let you down. Forgive me Leah."

Charlie put his hands on Sue's shoulders and slowly moved her away towards Seth, who reached for her hand. She sobbed into his chest.

"I think it would be right if we each said something." Carlisle immediately held everyone's attention. "Jacob, why don't you go first? Leah was part of your pack, after all."

Jacob wiped his eyes, let go of Nessie's hand and walked forward. "I know we didn't always get along Leah. But, you were part of my pack. I've heard your thoughts in my head and I'll never be able to get your voice back. The pack won't be the same without you." Jacob stepped back.

"Leah, I want you to know that I am ashamed of the way things turned out between us." Sam was talking now. "I loved you like you'll never understand and it broke my heart when I had to leave you. I think I broke your heart too and for that, I am eternally sorry. I'm gonna miss you, Lee-Lee."

We carried on round the circle. Everyone had their turn to remember Leah. Seth was next. He just about managed to compose himself enough to talk.

"Leah, you were the best sister, the very best. The pack will be lonely now and no one will ever replace you. I love you." Seth turned back and started to cry.

It was my turn. I bit my lip; I had no idea what to say. I walked forwards.

"Leah, we were never very close, but you made Jacob happy. Thank you for that. He really liked having you as his beta, although he probably never told you that. You managed to fit in with our family like I never thought you would. Sorry about the smell though." Jacob gave a small chuckle. "I guess what I'm trying to say is I will miss you Leah."

I swallowed. That was a lot harder than I had anticipated. My eyes were stinging again. Nessie spoke next.

"You were my best friend Leah. I'm so glad that we got close and that you were there for me when I needed girl time. Thank you for being me and Jacob's maid of honour. You were stunning. What you did today, saving Jasper like that, I think you've proven that anyone can get along, even vampires and werewolves. You were courageous and brave. I'm really going to miss you." Her bell-like voice faltered slightly. "Goodbye."

Everyone had spoken. Jacob grabbed the torch and set the pyre alight. The flames billowed up into the sky, but there was something about them. They were shiny, almost silver coloured and with them floated tiny waves of shimmering smoke. It was beautiful, but also a bit unnerving. What were they?

Billy gasped. I guess he knew what it was. "Leah's spirit," he whispered. My mind flew back to the dim human memory of sitting around a camp fire with Jacob. I was listening to the story of the spirit warriors. Of course. They must all have one. And now, finally, Leah's was free.

**A/N: Oh my god! Only one chapter left! Ahhhhh! Well, I hope everyone reviews this chappie! And when I say everyone I mean EVERYONE and that includes people who add me to their favourite authors or Eternal Night to their favourite stories. That's right, I'm watching you! Lol.**

**Jaliceforever xxxxx**


	13. Voices

**A/N: Big apologies that you've had to wait so long for this chapter! But I was in hospital a few weeks back, having major spinal surgery, which went wrong. I'm okay now though! I know I said this was gonna be the last chapter, but this would have been probably the longest chapter in the history of long chapters, so there will be one more chapter after this!**

**By the way, I have met: Peter Facinelli, Kellan Lutz, Ashley Greene, Justin Chon and Christian Serratos! And what lovely people they are. Peter smells darn amazing btw. **

Chapter 13 – Revelation

The return journey to Prudhoe Bay was completed in a deadly silence. No one had anything to say. I think that for the most part, we were still in shock. Misery hung in the air like an infectious disease; lethal and impossible to escape.

Occasionally, I would turn around to face my family, but all I found was my expression, mirrored in each and every one of their beautiful faces. I thought about Jacob, how he would be feeling, what was going through his mind. I could have just asked Jasper and Edward, but breaking the ongoing silence would have been like the breaking of ice across a frozen lake.

And it felt wrong, to pry into Jacob's head like that. He needed some alone time, I knew that, but it didn't stop me worrying. Nessie was still in pieces. She had never experienced a loss like this. The majority of her family were immortal, after all. She had lost her best friend. I imagined what it would be like for me to lose Alice, but I knew all too well because I thought I _had_ lost her. Once I heard that Maria had her, I didn't expect Alice to come back. But Leah had saved her. Leah had saved us all...

***************************************************************************

_3 weeks later_

"Mom, I'm seriously worried about Jacob." I heard Nessie's quiet footsteps as she entered the kitchen and sat down at the table, her head in her hands.

"Why? What's wrong Ness?" I knew my daughter inside out and something bad was definitely troubling her.

"Well, ever since, you know... in the graveyard," Three weeks had passed and yet none of us could still bring ourselves to talk aloud about it. "Jake's been hiding away in our room. Whenever I try and talk to him, he simply shrugs or answers with 'yes' or 'no'. Do you know he hasn't phased once since we came back?" I could see the concern and fear shimmering in her large brown eyes.

Then it clicked. I put two and two together and ended up with... "He's started aging again, hasn't he?"

The tears started trickling down Nessie's perfect face like glistening diamonds. "Yes," she whispered. "Oh Mom, what am I going to do? I won't lose Jake as well! If he goes, I go!"

"Nessie, please be reasonable. Jake isn't going anywhere. We just have to persuade him to phase. Besides, what about Seth, Quil and Embry? He's still the Alpha of his pack, you know. He can't abandon them. He just can't."

**Jacob's POV**

I don't want to talk to anyone. Ever. I might as well die. There's no point trying to be happy, carrying on as if everything perfect and normal. Normal, ha! What a joke. As if any of us would ever be classed as normal. We're all freaks. Stupid, hideous, disgusting freaks. Because of what we are, Leah is dead. Dead. And it's my entire fault. If I hadn't told her to stay behind, she'd still be here. Seth would still have a sister. Sue would still have a daughter. I felt sick. Sick and angry and...Confused.

I looked around, up at the sky just trying to break through the trees. Why couldn't I phase? Not that I particularly wanted to become a monster again, but I had to admit, I was worried. I could feel myself slowly aging again. And I can't leave Nessie. She is my entire world, probably the reason that I haven't topped myself yet.

Come on Jake! Phase already! Damn it! Whatever I was doing was clearly not working.

_Jacob..._

"Hello? Who's there? Look Quil, if that's you, please stop pissing around!"

_Jacob... _

There it is again. The ghostly voice. It's weird; I think I recognise it...

"Guys, this is so not funny! Just stop it!"

"Take a chill pill Jake." Embry, Quil and Brady appeared from the trees.

"What the hell was all that about?"

"What?" Embry looked confused.

"All the _Jacob_ business!" I was getting tired of them playing the innocent act.

"Come again?"

"I was standing right here, on my own and someone was calling my name! Which one of you was it?"

"Um, Jake dude, are you okay? I mean, up top?"

"Are you questioning my sanity, Quil? And you haven't answered my question. Who was it?"

"Er, Jake, none of us called your name. We were in wolf form pretty much up to five seconds before we walked out from behind the trees. It wasn't us."

"But then who..." I gasped. I recognised the ghostly voice now. It couldn't be. This was insane. There was no way...

Emotion overwhelmed me and before I knew it I was racing through the forest on four legs. Relief swept over me as I realised that I had managed to phase again. But that still doesn't explain...


	14. Revelation

**A/N: Final chap! Final chap! Final chap!**

**Hope you like! And sorry this took longer than Carlisle's been alive to publish.**

My thoughts were interrupted.

_Hey Jake! Took you long enough to phase!_

_NO WAY! LEAH! BUT YOU'RE DEAD! I SAW YOU DIE! I WATCHED YOU BURN!_

_Jake, please don't insult my intelligence. I know I'm dead._

I was seriously starting to question my sanity. How the hell could Leah be talking to me?

_Um, I might not be an expert on these things, but I'm pretty sure that dead people don't usually start talking again._

_But that's just it Jake. I'm not a _person, _I'm a _werewolf.

_Your point being?_

_God, it's like talking to a two year old. Think Jake, think! Remember my first council meeting, at the bonfire? I think Bella was there._

Of course I remembered. That was before...things got complicated.

_And?_

_Your Dad told us the story of the Spirit Warriors._

FLASHBACK

Dad sat up straight, a serious look in his eyes. Man, he looked old.

"The Quileutes have been a small people from the beginning. And we are a small people still, but we have never disappeared. This is because there has always been magic in our blood. It wasn't always the magic of shape-shifting, that came later. First we were spirit warriors.

"Kaheleha was the first great Spirit Chief in our history. In an emergency, Kaheleha used the magic to defend our land. He and all the warriors left their bodies. The women watched over their bodies and the men took their spirits and fought off enemy tribes."

END FLASHBACK

_Wait, wait, wait. So what you're trying to tell me is that you've been re-incarnated as some freaky spirit?_

I needed sleep. To be having hallucinations this realistic, I must be seriously tired.

_Not _re-incarnated_ exactly. When I was killed, my _body_ died, but my _spirit_ lived on. Just like our ancestors, the spirit warriors._

_Okay...Does anyone else know about this?_

_I can't talk to them Jake. Only you._

_Um...Leah, I'm glad you're back and everything, but I really don't feel that way about you. Sorry._

_JACOB BLACK! Please be serious for once in your life! I can only talk to you because you're the Alpha of my pack. And I can only talk when you are in wolf form. Not when you're human._

_So what, you're just some weird, floaty, spirit-thing now?_

_Yes_

_But you can talk to me?_

_Yes, Jacob. Believe it or not, I can!_

_And you're definitely real? You're not some crazy-assed hallucination?_

_YES! I'M REAL! IS THIS REAL ENOUGH FOR YOU?_

A huge branch suddenly fell out of a tree and hit me on the head_._

_Leah, that hurt!_

_Good! Don't ever question my existence again!_

_Fine! Can I tell the others about this? Everyone misses you, Nessie and Seth especially._

_I guess so. Tell Seth and Ness I love them and miss them._

_Will do. This is so cool! The guys are gonna flip!_

Renesmee's POV

Jacob, Jacob, Jacob. My Jacob. Jake, where are you? Why have I lost my best friend and the love of my life? Why has my husband been replaced with a stranger? Where is the Jacob that I fell in love with? Come back to me Jake, I love you. I love you with all my heart and soul.

Bella's POV

"Jake, are you okay? You look kinda... high." His eyes were wide and gleaming and he didn't seem to want to sit still.

"Don't worry Bella. I know what a high person looks like, and that aint' it."

"Thank you for your valuable input Emmett. Get me some water!"

Emmett passed me a cup and I splashed the cold liquid in Jake's face. He blinked and then came back down to planet Earth.

"Thanks Bella, I needed that. Where's Nessie? I need to tell her something."

Nessie appeared at the doorway.

"Jake? You okay?" She walked hesitantly towards him.

"I'm fine, Nessie. Better than okay!" He sat down at the dining room table. Everyone followed.

"Okay, so I guess I have two things to tell you. The first is that I've started phasing again."

"You have? Oh Jake!" Nessie threw her arms around him and curled up on his lap. "I thought I was going to lose you."

"You will never lose me. I will always be here for you. I promise." He lightly kissed her forehead and both cheeks, wiping away her fresh tears with the touch of his lips. "Anyway, there's something else I need to tell you." He looked around at each of our faces and sighed. "Okay, don't try and get me committed the minute I tell you this. It's gonna sound crazy, but I can prove it's true."

My forehead creased. Edward, on the other hand, sat up straight, a smile on his immaculate face. Obviously he already knew Jacob's big secret.

"Go ahead Jacob. Whatever it is, please, tell us." Carlisle had the same anxious, confused look on his face.

"Well, when I phased, I heard a voice in my head. Not just any voice though. Her voice. Leah's voice."

What? Well, that was unexpected. I was thinking more along the lines of "I'm gay and proud".

"Jacob listen, I know you've been through a lot recently and sometimes a bereavement like this really takes its toll on people. If you'd like, I could get you someone to talk to, listen to your problems, and give you advice..."

"Doc, I'm not crazy and I don't want to talk to a shrink! I'm not imagining this! It's just Leah's spirit!" Jacob turned to look at me now. "You remember those stories, don't you Bella?"

"You're gonna have to be more specific Jacob. Are we talking Goldilocks and the Three Bears?"

"Of course not." Jacob's dark eyebrows pulled down into a frown. "Does the story of The Spirit Warriors ring any bells?"

Oh.

"Yeah, I kinda remember, I guess." It was a long time since I heard those stories, but they'd managed to stay with me.

"It's just like the spirit warriors Bella! Leah's still with us!"

At his words, the glass of water on the table toppled over.

"It's Leah," Jacob whispered with a satisfied smile on his face.

"Can I talk to her Jake?" Nessie was smiling for the first time in months.

"Sorry Ness, she can only speak to me, the Alpha. She told me to tell you she loves you though. And you Seth."

A silent tear fell down Seth's cheek, which he quickly wiped away on the back of his hand.

As I looked around at my incredible family, I realised just how lucky I was to be surrounded by such wonderful, loving people. I grabbed Edward's hand under the table.

"Everything's going to be alright, isn't it Edward?"

"Of course Bella. It always is."

THE END

**Wow. I'm actually done! So hope everyone enjoyed, and look out for more coming soon! Do you know what would really be the cherry on the cake right now? I review... or two.**

**Jaliceforever**

**xxxxx**


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